Travel and traffic prep for the Labor Day weekend

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Labor Day weekend is upon us for that last blast of summertime!

According to AAA , travel for the three-day weekend will be even busier than last year. Summer travel has been record-breaking already and people haven’t thrown in the beach towel just yet.

So there are a few key things to keep in mind if you’re leaving town.

Remember the basic rules of the road

“Slow down, increase those following distances, putting that seatbelt on before they ever even leave the house, making sure everyone in the car is all buckled up, avoiding driving impaired,” said Morgan Dean, a spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Plan around busy travel days

Next, Thursday and Friday will be the busiest travel days of the holiday weekend for a few reasons. AAA said Virginia gas prices are actually down 40 cents compared to where they were last year at an average of $3.22 a pop.  Airfare is down 2% and car rentals are down 16% as well.

AAA predicts nearly 90% of travelers will be road tripping so try to get an early start to avoid those traffic buildups. And this includes people flying to their destination.

“Some of those people that are gonna be heading to the skies, are on the road to get to the airport, so that’s even more traffic out there,” Dean said.

Prepare your car

Check the windshield wipers, oil and battery. The hot weather can impact the battery so make sure you have your jumper cables. Have a first aid kit, snacks and water for passengers and pets handy as well.

Stay patient

Road rage is not going to make traffic go away and could endanger lives.

“That puts you, everyone in your vehicle and everyone on and around that roadway at risk when there’s an aggressive driver,” Dean said. “So don’t let frustration on the roadway turn you into that kind of driver.”

Dean also said there is some good news though. Traffic may be alleviated by fewer families choosing to travel this weekend since a lot of schools only just started a couple of weeks ago.

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